Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckansley’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckansley’, characterized by its bright red bracts; early flowering, response time about 8.5 weeks; creamy yellow and green variegated leaves; upright plant habit; rounded canopy; freely branching habit; flexible stems; and excellent postproduction longevity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant, botanically known as Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd., and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Eckansley’.

The new Poinsettia is a naturally-occurring branch mutation of the commercial Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar ‘Lilo’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,694. The new Poinsettia was selected by the Inventor in a greenhouse in Encinitas, Calif., in 1996. The objective of the Inventor's Poinsettia development program is to select new Poinsettia cultivars having interesting bract and leaf display, color and form; strong and freely branching stems; and good post-production longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Poinsettia by terminal cuttings taken at Encinitas, Calif., has shown that the unique features of this new Poinsettia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Eckansley’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Eckansley’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Bright red bracts.

2. Early flowering, response time about 8.5 weeks.

3. Light yellow and green variegated leaves.

4. Upright plant habit; rounded canopy.

5. Freely branching habit; flexible stems.

6. Excellent postproduction longevity.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Poinsettia differed from plants of the parent cultivar, ‘Lilo’, in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Poinsettia are more compact and slightly less vigorous than plants of ‘Lilo’.

2. Plants of the new Poinsettia have more flexible stems than plants of ‘Lilo’.

3. Plants of the new Poinsettia have variegated foliage whereas plants of ‘Lilo’ have nonvariegated foliage.

4. Plants of the new Poinsettia have smaller leaves then plants of ‘Lilo’.

5. Plants of the new Poinsettia have smaller bracts than plants of ‘Lilo’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Poinsettia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonbly possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckansley’.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet comprises a top perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Eckansley’.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical bracts and leaves of ‘Lilo’ (left) and ‘Eckansley’ (right). Bract and foliage colors in the photographs may differ from actual colors due to light reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Poinsettia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Encinitas, Calif., under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 21 to 27° C., night temperatures ranging from 18 to 20° C., and light levels about 4,000 foot-candles. Plants were grown in 16-cm pots, pinched one time, and flowered under naturally lengthening nights during the fall/early winter.

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ‘Eckansley’.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring branch mutation of Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. cultivar ‘Lilo’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 6,694.

Propagation:

Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 12 to 18 days at 27° C. Winter: About 15 to 18 days at 24° C.

Time to develop roots.—Summer: About 26 days at 27° C. Winter: About 26 days at 24° C.

Rooting habit.—Freely branching, becoming fibrous with development.

Plant description:

Plant form.—Inverted triangle; rounded canopy.

Growth habit.—Upright and mounded. Freely branching. Branching is enhanced by removing the shoot apex.

Plant vigor.—Moderate.

Plant height.—About 25 cm.

Crop time.—From unrooted cuttings to a flowering plant in a 16-cm container, about 17 weeks are required.

Stem description.—Flexible stems. Number of lateral branches: About seven lateral branches are formed after removal of the terminal apex. Lateral branch length: About 17 cm. Internode length: About 1.5 cm. Stem color: 146A to 146B.

Foliage description.—Quantity of leaves per lateral branch: About 9. Length: About 8.5 cm. Width: About 4.75 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Somewhat rugose; dull; very sparse pubescence on lower surface. Color: Irregular variegation pattern with light yellow edge surrounding green center. Young foliage, upper surface: Center, 138A and 138B irregular areas; margin, 4C. Young foliage, lower surface: Center, 138B and 138C irregular areas; margin, 4C to 4D. Mature foliage, upper surface: Center, 137A and 137B irregular areas; margin, duller than 3B. Mature foliage, lower surface: Center, 137B; margin, 3B to 3C. Venation, upper surface: 3C. Venation, lower surface: 137C. Petiole: Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Color: 59A.

Inflorescence description:

Inflorescence type and habit.—Inflorescences are compound corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the cyathia.

Natural flowering season.—Autumn/winter in Northern Hemisphere. Flower initiation and development can be induced under long night conditions. Response time is about 8.5 weeks.

Quantity of inflorescences.—One per lateral branch, usually about seven per plant.

Inflorescence size including bracts.—Diameter: About 24 cm. Height (depth): About 3.5 cm.

Flower bracts.—Quantity of flower bracts per inflorescence: Usually about 12 primary bracts and about 9 smaller secondary bracts per inflorescence. Length, largest bracts: About 11.5 cm. Width, largest bracts: About 7.5 cm. Shape: Mostly ovate, irregular lobes. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth to slightly rugose. Aspect: Mostly horizontal. Color: Developing, upper surface: 46A. Developing, lower surface: 46B. Mature, upper surface: Center, 45A; slightly lighter red towards margins, 45B to 45C. Mature, lower surface: 45C.

Cyathia.—Quantity: Usually about 12 per corymb. Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 2 by 2.5 cm. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 5 mm. Color: Immature: 144B. Mature: 144A. Peduncle: Length: About 4 mm. Aspect: Strong, erect. Color: 144A. Stamens: Stamen number: About ten true stamens with numerous stamenodes per cyathium. Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther color: 46A. Amount of pollen: Moderate. Pollen color: 14A. Pistils: No pistillate flowers observed. Nectary color: 14A.

Disease resistance: Plants of the new Poinsettia have been observed to be resistant to Botrytis.

Postproduction longevity: Excellent; generally plants maintain good substance and bract color for about eight weeks under interior conditions. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘Eckansley’, as 